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Well, it's been well over a year, but Friday I made my reservations for a trip on the Southwest Chief - a train I've never been on. I used AGR points, so I called in an reserved two roomettes (taking my mother, fulfilling one of my dad's last requests). Scheduled the trip home from Kansas to LA. All that went pretty smooth, but after I hung up and informed my cousins of the dates, I realized that I wanted to board in Topeka, not KC. So called back, waited less than three minutes, got transferred to a reservation specialist. Then it got slow. I figured it would be simple - same train, same room, just a boarding station later down the line. Nope - she had to "grab all the rooms, then let go of the ones I don't want". I asked why the rooms we had (9&10) weren't showing, as she had just cancelled them. She didn't know, but a few minutes later said, "there they are", and we were done (I thought). Hung up, and received my e-mail confirmation. Uh-oh, she had changed the date! Originally scheduled for Monday, 10/18, and moving to Topeka would have changed the date to 10/19, since dep time is 1:09 am. But she had reserved 10/20. So back on the phone, short wait, transfer, new agent. Finally got it all right, and I will be on my way in October. Not sure yet if I can take the time to train both ways, but I am looking forward to the trip.
Posts: 406 | From: La Grange, CA | Registered: Sep 2007
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It sounds like you'll have a nice trip bringing your mom along. I just took my mom to Vegas last week, and she really enjoyed it and said she'll have memories of the trip forever. Always neat to do something like that.
As for Amtrak and reservations.....I just don't understand how these things happen. Amtrak's inconsistency really shouldn't bother me or amaze me after all these years, but I suppose it does.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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RR4Me - How do they charge the points for two roommettes? Just twice the amount of points for one roommette? I have considered doing that but thought it would end up more than the bedroom. Since I travel with my husband the bedroom is fine too.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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Hope you and mom enjoy the journey on the Chief. I think that will be a nice treat for her. Oh yeah! The reservation system does have its moments. Hmmmmm.....on my booking(Trenton-Wash.D.C.-Chicago-Essex[Isaak Walton Inn]- Portland) there was a glitch..or an "itch" in the computer which cancelled out everything when the agent called to pay for the booking. All was lost. Fortunately Accent On Travel managed for us to leave a day later with one less day in Portland. Otherwise the return air fare would have been $600 more. Still managed to have double bedrooms (aka deluxe) with the rebooking. We're now leaving on Aug.19 instead of the 18th. Which turned out fine because day of departure is my birthday!
Posts: 498 | From: New Hope, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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HAppy Birthday 20th Century, will it now be 21st Century? (kidding).
HopefulRailUser, yes it was 20,000 x 2. That is more than the bedroom, which would have cost 30,000 pts.
Posts: 406 | From: La Grange, CA | Registered: Sep 2007
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I have always wanted to spend my birthday on Amtrak. But this year it is the TGV I'll have to make do with that. Amtrak's reservation system isn't the best. It didn't send a conformation email when I booked myself on the ACES, and I had a tons of conformations in my email so I didn't see that it didn't show up. So the day of my trip I had to argue with the agent to get my tickets. But they did find it.
Posts: 465 | From: elgin (s-line) | Registered: Dec 2008
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Sounds like a fine trip. Have a wonderful time. And let us know about the late-night boarding in Topeka; it's something I have to do one of these days.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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